many consumers enjoy a restorative experience in bookshops, experiencing flow and enjoying the spending of time in a relaxed fashion, often with no thought of any ultimate purchase. Very little interaction or socialising with other consumers or booksellers takes place. Many bookshop users experience a restorative or therapeutic quality in bookshops and wish to spend time there without
necessarily wanting to talk or socialise in a literal sense. The current research suggests that referring to bookshops as third places is misleading. While elements of third place are often experienced by consumers in the bookshop environment nevertheless it must be acknowledged that conversation rarely takes place.